Paralax
by bkwrm523
Summary: The ever popular fangirl from Earth makes it into the SW verse, with a twist.  This story is AU
1. Pilot

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, or any other movie. I do not make any money from this; it's purely for fun. There will be other movie/book/etc references and quotes scattered throughout this; I do not own or make money from any of them.

Episode I: Pilot

Kate Stanton looked at herself in the mirror, turning to her side to observe her recent purchases. The jeans fit perfectly; they sat fairly low on her hips, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. The legs flared out a little in a style that was a year or two out of style, but Kate preferred them that way. They were her much-loved dark wash, and slightly boring, with no rips, tears, or decorative embroidery. The black polo was equally plain, with no design or brand mark on its front or back. It clung snugly to her curves, flattering her without being uncomfortably tight. The shirt's hem went down just enough below the top line of her jeans that she knew she wouldn't be constantly worrying that it was showing off a midriff she didn't feel confident enough to display. She unconsciously adjusted the thick, black, fuzzy Star Wars wristband on her right wrist. That was also out of fashion, but again, it suited her. The effect of the entire outfit, showing a woman in her mid-twenties who only looked to fashion enough to be fair-looking, but preferred comfort, was completed by a pair of light grey tennis shoes peaking out from beneath her jeans. They were well-worn, but sturdy. Kate sighed and ran one hand through her short-cropped red hair. The jeans and the shirt had cost her over $100; much more than she'd usually spend on either. The trendy shop in which she now stood was far too expensive for her on a regular basis, but she had been saving up for this trip for weeks. She gave a final nod, and pulled off the last tag. She'd already paid for both things. As today was laundry day, the clothes she'd worn fell far short of her new purchases. As such, she'd asked the clerk if she could use a dressing room to change into the new clothes. Kate exited the dressing room, waving back at the too-friendly attendant as she left. She gave a small, satisfied smile at the day's bounty.

Kate walked aimlessly through the mall as she contemplated the state of her wallet. There wasn't much left after her expensive buys at the jeans store, but there was still some. Should she buy more things? She could use more underwear. As she thought, she wandered past a movie-and-music store. There was a stand just inside the main window for the new Transformers movie. As she approached it, admiring the store's handiwork, its head turned to watch her. Kate raised her eyebrows. She'd assumed it was simply a person-sized cardboard cutout. Now it was looking more like a machine. She paused outside the display window along with a growing crowd as the figure extricated itself from the rest of the display. Kate was surprised that they had put enough effort into it that it would move. One of its hands flipped, and a small saw emerged. Kate frowned. That didn't look much like a useful store display. Her bad feeling confirmed as it swung its hand forward and broke the glass window. The reaction from the crowd was mixed. A few people clapped, obviously convinced that this was just a marketing move. Others moved a little away from the robot. One person even let out a small shriek when the glass broke. The robot walked out of the store towards the crowd, and looked around. Its eyes stopped when it saw her. Kate paled a little. You've got to be kidding me, she thought just before the robot took off towards her, saw raised high. Kate turned and ran. Part of her was still convinced that this was all some sort of display stunt. That same part hoped that when people saw her running, they'd think she was simply in a hurry. Kate turned a corner, ran a ways, then turned to look behind her. The robot was still after her. It gave an electronic-sounding, incomprehensible cry of rage when it saw her looking at it. The part of her head convinced this was a mistake shut up then, and Kate dropped the bag with her old clothes and sprinted.

As she ran, Kate went over what she knew of the layout of the mall. She tried to remember where she'd seen the security office, but she couldn't. Think! Kate told herself desperately as she ran into a department store. One possible solution was to run for her car...on the other side of the mall. Great. That clearly wasn't a possibility. Maybe if she ran for a back room, she could hold the door shut, or something. Not the best plan, but it was the only one she had. As Kate ran, taking random turns between the racks of clothes, trying unsuccessfully to lose it, she spotted a door marked "Maintenance". The robot chasing her was getting closer, and this looked like the only option she had. She ran for it, and flung the door open, distantly wondering why it was unlocked. Kate glanced behind her again as she ran through, then slid to a stop when she turned back. The door behind her swung shut, and the lock clicked as she surveyed her new surroundings. She was no longer in the mall.

She was in a hallway, and the space behind her abruptly ended in a wall. Ahead of her, the hallway continued straight, with one branching off to the right. The whole structure seemed to be made out of some kind of metal, a light grey she usually associated with iron. The hallway was wide, say enough for a golf cart to pass without running over anyone walking. Some doorways were on the right side of the hallway, but the closer ones had no hinges. Perhaps they slid open. Where on Earth was she?

Kate's musings were interrupted by the sound of a saw behind her, and the now-familiar electronic scream. There would be time to think later. For now, Kate had to get away from the store display. She ran, taking the nearby turn to the right, hoping to confuse the robot and perhaps loose it. This hallway continued a ways down, dead ending into another hallway just in sight. She heard clanging footsteps behind her, and a glance confirmed that the robot had found her. Kate resisted the urge to run faster, knowing she didn't have much more endurance to give, now desperate to reach the other turn. She finally made it, the robot swinging the saw at her that whoosed through empty air as she blindly turned left.

"Halt, Republic dog!" Came a familiar voice. Five battle droids, all armed and pointing their weapons at her, stood in front of her. Kate's mind, as it usually did, rapidly processed the information in front of her. The presence of the droids must mean Star Wars. The most likely explanation due to the laws of physics made this some kind of prank. But if it was a joke, they wouldn't look this real. Kate had some idea of just how much of what she saw in the movies was computer generated. That left a hallucination of some sort. Which would explain the Transformers bot. Speaking of the little robot monkey, it screamed defiance at the droids for all of two seconds before one of the droids fired twice at it. The Transformer gave a sad little moan, then collapsed. All the while, Kate didn't move. The part of her that was a devoted Star Wars fangirl and fanfic writer screamed at her that this might be actually happening. Unlikely, but possible. In that event, it was probably best to try not to die. Just in case. Kate slowly raised her arms in the air.

"Thanks for that, and I don't want any trouble." She said, letting her voice shake. In truth, she was surprisingly level about all this. Kate always had been at her best during a crisis. But if she was going to escape on her own, she wanted them to underestimate her. Options; she was unarmed. Going for a blaster when she got closer was a possibility, but not a good one. Kate had horrible aim. Truth be told, her best weapon was a sword. She had discovered fencing during high school as a means of keeping in shape, and fallen in love with it. That, combined with martial arts, and Renaissance festival-inspired staged combat lessons gave her a pretty fair chance of defending herself against an average opponent. With a sword. Kate silently thanked whoever was listening that the style of martial arts she practiced used almost completely wristlocks. A kick might or might not do any good. But such styles were not designed to be used against opponents made of metal. Her wristlocks, though, they depended on bone structure. If the battle droids were close enough to human in form, then she might be able to snap off an arm, or something. The question is made moot, though, as a young female Togrutan cuts them into pieces with a lightsaber in two swift strokes. They fell without enough time for even a protest, and the Togrutan gave a smirk, then glanced up at Kate.

"Thanks." Kate said, recognizing Ahsoka. This confirmed the timeline she suspected. The presence of battle droids suggested Old Republic, and their vocal disdain for the Republic suggested the Clone Wars. Ahsoka's presence and visible age range confirmed both of those things.

"Not a problem," Ahsoka replied, her tone polite, but wary. Understandable; she still didn't know who Kate was. And Kate's clothes must have seemed strange to Ahsoka. "Who are you?" Ahsoka had sheathed the blade of her lightsaber, but had not returned the hilt to her belt, still cautious. Kate briefly considered several replies, and then decided to go with the unvarnished truth. To hell with temporary convenience; this would cause less problems in the long run.

"Civilian from a parallel universe. I was chased here by a display come to life. And no, I don't know how or why I got here." Kate shrugged. "I was at the mall." Ahsoka blinked, but didn't reply. Kate briefly wondered if she'd talked too fast; that was a bad habit of hers. "You're a Jedi- go ahead and examine my mind for deception if you don't believe me. I've got nothing to hide."

"Okaaaay." Ahsoka finally replied, sounding dubious. "What makes you think this is a parallel universe? And what IS a parallel universe?"

"I'd be happy to explain the concept and share my theories with you, but as we seem to be in the middle of a war zone-" Kate started to reply, but Ahsoka cut her off just as she finished.

"Right. Republic or Seperatist?" Ahsoka asked, and again, there was that threat of hidden menace. Not that Kate blamed Ahsoka.

"Republic, I guess." Kate answered. "We don't have either where I'm from, but I certainly don't want to work with the Sith. So how can I help?"

"You can get back to our ship." Ahsoka said firmly. "You said you're a civilian. Stay safe."

"Not a chance. I'm in a real adventure for once, and I want to do something. I'm not helpless." Kate walked over to one of the downed battle droids, and retrieved what looked like a short sword on its back. Again, her encyclopedic mind informed her that only advanced battle droids carried these, and that Ahsoka had been lucky to take them by surprise. Otherwise, it might have been a more difficult fight. "I know how to use this." She told Ahsoka as she used her belt as an improvised sheath. Ahsoka frown briefly in thought, then nodded.

"All right. No time to argue. But you do what I say." Kate gave a respectful nod.

"Can you tell me what we're up to?" Kate asked.

"My master and Obi Wan Kenobi are pinned down by droids, and this ship is going to blow soon. We need to help them get out of here."

"I'll try not to get in the way." Kate replied, attempting a confident grin. Ahsoka returned with a slight smile, and then took off down the hallway. Ahsoka didn't speak as they ran, which made sense to Kate; they were clearly in enemy territory. It was best not to attract attention. Kate took the opportunity to glance down at the sword now on her belt, and try to plan how to use it. She had been trained to use a rapier, and only a rapier. This blade was a little wider than a longsword. That could be a problem, as rapiers had one of the most narrow blades of any type of sword. Kate mused as Ahsoka took turns, seeming confident that she knew where to go. Kate couldn't really think of any solution. She was hardly an expert in swordplay. All Kate could think to do, was to resolve to be careful.

Eventually, they slowed as they approached a turn. There was neither the sound of blasters, nor lightsabers, nor the familiar view of blaster bolts whizzing past. All of which should be there if there was an ongoing fight. They stopped before turning, and Kate waited, looking at Ahsoka for direction. Her senses must be telling her something. After a moment, Ahsoka shook her head, and they rounded the corner. There were the bodies of several downed battle droids, but nothing else.

"This isn't right." Ahsoka muttered. "Where are they?"

"The situation must not be what you thought." Kate said, being careful to keep her voice quiet. "You have a bond with your Master. Can you tell what he's feeling?" Ahsoka gave her a startled glance, then closed her eyes to concentrate.

"Frustration." Ahsoka said after a moment. "And a little aggravated." Kate nodded thoughtfully.

"Then he and Obi Wan are probably together. They nearly always manage to aggravate each other. Is he angry?"

"No." Ahsoka said. "Just frustrated. Look, how do you know so much about them?" Ahsoka asked suspiciously.

"I'm from a parallel universe, remember? There, all of this is just a series of stories. And everyone knows who those two are." Ahsoka looked still a little suspicious at Kate's reply, but it seemed to satisfy her. "If Anakin's not angry, then it's likely there's no Sith in the area. He tends to loose his temper a little around Seperatist leaders, so if there is a Seperatist leader there, he or she is likely incompetent. That's good." Kate continued, thinking out loud. She started to continue, but Ahsoka interrupted.

"This is pointless. We should just go after them and free them!" Ahsoka might have taken off, but Kate grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"No." Kate said firmly. "I know you're the Jedi here, and the ranking member of the two of us, but please, listen to me. I know I don't know what's happening here, but I know you didn't expect Obi Wan and Anakin to get captured. That means that this was a trap. If you go charging in blind like they did, you're saying that you think your skills are better than theirs. If they got caught in this, then we will to." Kate paused a moment, letting her words sink in. "There's a saying you hear sometimes back where I'm from; fight smarter, not harder. We need to find and free them, but we need to know what's going on. Now, do we know who's in charge on this ship? Can you tell me what's at stake here? What the purpose of this mission is?" Ahsoka bit her lip, thinking for a moment.

"I can't believe I'm taking orders from a civilian I don't trust." Ahsoka muttered under her breath, then glanced guiltily at Kate, as though she hadn't meant to say her doubts aloud. Kate gave her a small smile.

"No offense taken. Use your senses. Do they say I can be trusted?" Kate asked her. Ahsoka thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. They do." Ahsoka sighed. "Okay. We're here to free a prisoner. One of our droids went missing." Kate nodded.

"That explains the aggravation, then. Obi Wan is probably whining about rescuing a droid being beneath him."

"I wouldn't use the word whining..." Ahsoka said, trying to be diplomatic.

"I would." Kate said bluntly. "I'm not a Jedi, and don't have to be polite. He's a fine warrior, but an ass when it comes to droids. And his sense of humor is so dry, I want to throw a bucket of water on him." That startled a giggle out of Ahsoka. "He's probably telling Anakin all about how they wouldn't be in this position if he wasn't sentimental over droids."

"I still have my comlink." Ahsoka said, reaching for it. "I should try to contact them."

"No." Kate said immediately. "What if there are guards listening? They might not know yet that we're here. Let's not give our presence away yet. The question is, do we try to free Anakin and Obi Wan, or go for the droid?" Ahsoka thought for a moment before answering.

"We rescue the droid. The mission comes first." Ahsoka said definitively. Kate nodded.

"And Obi Wan and your Master might manage to break out on their own. Do we know where the droid is?"

"No. We were hoping to capture the general of the ship and get the information from him"

"Ahsoka, neither of us know much about interrogation. It might save a lot of time and effort to just evesdrop on him." Kate thought for a minute. "We already know this general's probably an idiot. And an idiot would be ecstatic that he managed to capture two Jedi generals. He's probably with them, gloating. And if he's gloating, he might give away where the droid is. So we're back to finding where Obi Wan and Anakin are being held. If we can get there without the guards seeing us, can you signal your Master to try and get the Seperatist General to give away the droid's location?" Ahsoka nodded slowly.

"I think so." Kate grinned at Ahsoka's statement.

"You must know the layout of this type of ship. Where's the most secure place to hold a prisoner?"

"Well..." Ahsoka said. "This is a warship. There's a few places like that."

"You store a Jedi in the most secure room. Which of them is the strongest?" Ahsoka thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

"That's it! I think I know where they are!"

"Can we get there undetected? Vents or something?"

"I think so." Ahsoka said slowly.

Anakin suppressed a sigh, and waited for the inevitable lecture. Sooner or later, his old Master would get around to telling him how their current predicament was all his fault.

"We wouldn't be here if you would have followed protocol, and wiped that droid's memory." Obi Wan said finally. Anakin had to resist the urge to mouth the words as his Master said them.

"Yeah, I know. This is all my fault." He responded sarcastically. Their arugment would have continued, but at that moment, the doors whooshed open, and Lok Durd waddled in. Anakin rolled his eyes. "Oh, great." He said. "Him again."

"Well, well." Lok chortled, resting his hands on his enormous stomach. "I seem to have you at my mercy, Jedis. And your droid."

Ahsoka slid forward on her belly, careful not to make any noise in the vent shaft that might give her and Kate away. She slid forward in time to hear Lok Durd taunting her master and Obi Wan. Huh. All of Kate's deductions had been right. Anakin glanced quickly up at the vent opening that Ahsoka peered out of. She sent him a quick Force wave of reassurance, trying to urge him to get Durd talking. Anakin looked back at Durd. He moved forward, grasping the cell bars. His body language showed him as angry, but she could feel his enforced calm.

"What have you done with C-3PO?" Anakin snarled. "If you've done anything to damage him..."

"He is quite safe. And very soon he will be reprogrammed to serve the Separatist Alliance!" Lok Durd answered, his voice smug.

"Where IS he?" Anakikn yelled.

"He is in the hands of our technicians now. Very soon, they will crack open his programming." Ahsoka felt a surge of triumph. The plan worked! That was all they needed to find C-3PO!

"Now, Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled, but it was hardly necessary. Before the he finished the sentence, Ahsoka kicked open the vent cover, and jumped nimbly down. She felt Kate follow her, somewhat more cautiously. Ahsoka went immediately for the battle droids, taking them down in a few moments. Durd was too arrogant to have advanced droids guarding him, and the simple ones never took long to defeat.

Kate had drawn her sword, and had been careful to stay away from the battle droids. Instead, her sword point was at Lok Durd's throat.

"Free the Jedi. And give us the C-3PO's precise location, please." Kate told him calmly.

"You will never get me to talk! I am immune to your Jedi tricks!" Durd told her arrogantly. Apparantly, he hadn't yet realized that Kate was not a Jedi. Kate shrugged.

"Suits me." She told him calmly, then swiftly moved her sword point from it's place near his throat, to his crotch. Durd's face paled, and his eyes bugged out comically as he felt the sharp metal in an uncomfortable spot.

"Wait!" He yelped. Obi Wan coughed uncomfortably.

"Hold on," Obi Wan started. "Isn't that-"

"Shut up, Kenobi." Kate interrupted him calmly, never looking away from her captive. She never moved her sword point from its spot, and calmly lifted an eyebrow at Lok Durd. "You were saying?" Lok Durd hesitated then, perhaps wondering if he could count on the Jedi coming to his rescue. Kate narrowed her eyes, and dug her point more into him, but avoiding breaking his skin.

"S-stop!" Durd stammered, finally releasing directions. Kate wouldn't take her eyes off her victim, but turned her head slightly and cocked it in the general direction of Kenobi and Skywalker.

"I know where that is." Came Kenobi's voice, correctly interpreting her wordless question. Kate gave a nod and sheathed her weapon. She then took a few steps back, unconsciously distancing herself from the conversation, and putting herself in a position where she could watch both the Jedi and Lok Durd. She didn't think there was much to fear from him, and the Jedi could handle him easily, but it couldn't hurt to be prudent.

"Nice job, Snips. How'd you come up with that one?" Anakin asked Ahsoka, his voice light. Before Ahsoka could respond, Kate spoke again.

"I hate to interrupt, but it doesn't seem like the best idea to discuss that kinda thing in front of the enemy. Maybe wait for the debrief?" Kate didn't like the idea of telling trained soldiers or Jedi what to do, but she couldn't stop herself.

"She's right." Kenobi replied. "And you are?" He continued, directing the last question at her. Kate raised her eyebrows, and tilted her head in Durd's direction. Kenobi's mouth twisted thoughfully, and his eyes seemed to bore into her for a moment. Kate met his gaze levelly; she didn't challenge, but she didn't flinch away either. After a moment, Kenobi nodded and the intent expression disappeared. "Very well. Ahsoka, you and -" He paused for a moment.

"Kate," Kate supplied immediately.

"You and Kate escort Lok Durd back to the ship and wait there. Anakin and I will continue the mission." Ahsoka frowned at this.

"But, Master Kenobi, I'd like to come along." Ahsoka protested, but her voice was small.

"He's right." Kate said. "Whatever it is they're after, it's a bad idea to bring an enemy with you; too much can go wrong. Besides, we haven't proven yet that I can be trusted, and they probably want to keep me out of the way somewhere I can be watch and not hinder things." Kenobi's eyes met hers again, and she thought she saw a hint of his wry humor in them.

"Sounds like a plan." Anakin said somewhat awkwardly into the silence.

"Ummm, okay. Run it by me one more time." Anakin spoke into the silence. Kate sighed.

"Okay." Kate began again, starting to get tired of this. "I'm from a parallel universe."

"What's a parallel universe?" Ahsoka asked."

"Well, that's a bit of another story." Kate replied. "The original theory of is, that for every decision made throughout history spawned an alternate universe where the opposite decision was made. For example, during the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Council decided not to enter said wars. According to that theory, another version of this exact universe exists where the only difference is that the Council decided to enter the Mandalorian Wars, and the changes compounded from there."

"So, you're from a parallel universe." Obi Wan replied, looking as though he was the only one following this bizzare line of questioning.

"Good guess, but no. I was starting with basic theory; my story's more complex. I am from a universe where all of this is a series of entertainment vids."

"And we're just supposed to believe this?" Anakin replied sarcastically.

"I can quote word for word what was said in the Council chamber when you were being tested for joining the Jedi, Master Skywalker." Kate replied, giving him a direct and chilling look. "I also know exactly why Darth Reven redeemed in the middle of the Jedi Civil War, Master Kenobi." Kate continued, turning that look on Obi Wan. "And I'm willing to bet that isn't common knowledge." Obi Wan replied to her look with a thoughful frown. Anakin glanced back and forth between the two.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Anakin demanded. Obi Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Kate beat him to it.

"It doesn't matter."

"I have-" Anakin began to reply, irritated.

"She's right, Anakin." Obi Wan replied. "It doesn't matter." The room was silent for a moment, before Obi Wan resumed talking. "Supposing we believe you. How did you get here?" Kate shrugged.

"I was at the mall on a day off, when I got attacked by a store display. It chased me through some kind of portal attached to a staff-only door, that emptied out into that ship back there."

"So, hold on." Anakin interrupted. "If your universe has a series of vids about us, does that mean you know what's going to happen?"

"Anakin." Obi Wan said in an admonishing tone. "We don't know that these vids show truth."

"But if there's a chance," Anakin replied. It had all the markings of a typical argument between them, when Kate spoke up again.

"None of you are asking the obvious question." Kate said softly. Anakin and Obi Wan, having momentarily forgotten her, stopped arguing and turned to face her, both looking confused.

"I said a portal." Kate said. "A wormhole is often naturally occurring, and could be a fluke. A portal is constructed."

"Someone wanted you here." Obi Wan murmured thoughtfully. Kate nodded.

"And it's not as simple as wanting me dead. The portal on this end was not attached to another door. Now that's unusual, but it means that the end of it could have been anywhere. If they wanted me dead, why not put the other end in the middle of deep space, or something?"

"Or, kill you with the store display. Are portals difficult to construct?" Obi Wan replied, sounding almost eager at the mystery.

"Between two different universes? It would take both a great deal of skill and power." Obi Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"I think the Council needs to hear this." Obi Wan stated.

"Awww, just when I had the dramatic timing down perfect. It won't be the same the second time through." Kate mock-pouted. Anakin stifled a snicker, but Obi Wan just rolled his eyes.


	2. Bait and Switch

Episode 2: Bait and Switch

Author's Note: Thanks so much for everyone following and commenting! And thanks for your patience waiting for the next chapter. I wish I could promise faster updates, but I'm afraid life is busy just now. Also, I'm still figuring out the formatting on this site, so apologies if this looks a little rough. There will be some tweaks to chapter 1 just as soon as I figure out how.

* * *

><p>"Anakin's question was a valid one." Plo Koon said softly, the first to speak into the silence following Kate's repeat of her explanation.<p>

"And your deduction about the portal was rather well timed. Attempting to avoid the subject?" Ki Adi Mundi added. Kate couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

"I wondered if anyone would notice that." Kate said by way of a reply. She then shoved her hands in her pockets, dropped her gaze, and gave a huge sigh. "This subject had to come up sooner or later." Kate glanced up then. "I won't tell you what's going to happen. I'm sorry. It's nothing personal, if that makes a difference." Silence again for a moment after she spoke. The holographic projection of her into the Council room was pretty complete at her end; she could see very clear (if all blue) images of all of the Council members around her.

"Why?" Yoda asked, his first vocal contribution to the conversation. Kate didn't answer at first, biting her bottom lip as she turned the concept over in her mind, seeking the best way to explain.

"Same principles as time travel, I suppose." Kate began, feeling another lecture coming on. "I read a lot of fiction. Time travel isn't something I know a lot about, but the genre I'm interested in, it comes up enough that I know the basics. In stories, that is.

"Looking at this solely about the time travel bit, leaving out alternate universes, there's one thing that every time traveler has to learn before doing anything. There's even a lot of famous science fiction stories whose moral is this rule. Consequences of not following it are always disastrous. Never change anything. From studying the history of my own planet, I've learned that everything depends on everything else. Oftentimes even famous evil dictators are more a creation of an overall movement, or a symptom that something else is wrong, rather than a cause themselves. So, in the classic example, killing some evil figure from history won't solve the problem. Something else bad will happen; that's certain. At least with the original event, we know it all works out; we don't know that for whatever the new series of events are. Or to put it another way, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

"If you look at it right, this is essentially the same situation; I have advance knowledge of what might happen. Telling anyone what I know will only make it worse. That's certain. So I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I don't dare." Kate exhaled, waiting for the Jedi to be angry with her.

"This is... a secondary concern to you." Another Jedi stated, one she didn't recognize. It was a question. Kate nodded.

"Yes. But this subject does need to be addressed, and it's a fair question. This isn't a secondary concern to you." Kate replied. What did it matter what order they addressed things in? This subject would come up sooner or later. As long as they were interested, why not get it out of the way now?

"I agree with Kate." Mace replied, and a little tension eased out of Kate. Nice to have an ally.

"Mind you, Master Kenobi brought up a possibility I didn't think of; there's no way of knowing that the events of the stories I've heard will end that way here." Kate pointed out. Honestly, that didn't seem likely from her perspective. But it was possible. There was a long moment of silence, as several members of the Council exchanged glances. "Umm..." Kate spoke again, uncomfortable. "Should I wait outside, or something?"

"That will be unnecessary." Mace Windu replied. "We are satisfied with your reasoning for the moment."

"Thanks." Kate responded. "Which leaves us with, I'm guessing, the price on my head?"

"Suspected price." Ki Adi corrected her. "This is hardly compelling proof." Obi Wan frowned.

"I'm not so certain of that-" Obi Wan replied, coming to defense of Kate's theory, but Kate interrupted him.

"No, it's OK. He's right. We suspect someone wants me dead. We don't really have confirmation. Besides which, assuming someone does, allowing an attempt in a properly controlled environment might just yield useful information on the subject." Kate answered.

"With Master Kenobi, Kate is already." Yoda spoke up. "With him, she should remain. Together, they can devise a plan to confirm this information." The other Jedi in the room mostly nodded in agreement. "Protect her, you must, Master Obi Wan." Yoda finished, addressing Kenobi directly. Kenobi's projection gave a slight sitting bow.

"It will be done, Master." Obi Wan replied.

With that, the council meeting ended, and Kate's hologram switched off. She took a deep breath, and glanced next to her towards Obi Wan.

"So," Kate spoke awkwardly into the silence. "Brainstorm now, or later?" Before Obi Wan could answer, the door swooshed open, and Anakin and Ahsoka came in.

"So, what's the plan, Master?" Anakin asked by way of greeting, leaning against one of the walls.

"They want confirmation before action will be taken." Obi Wan replied.

"What does that mean?" Ahsoka asked, perturbed.

"It means we need to come up with a situation to dangle me in as bait." Kate responded, calm.

"You seem awfully alright with that." Anakin observed, raising an eyebrow. Kate shrugged.

"It's a fair point; it was a deduction. Deduction is not proof." Kate replied.

"So, what, just send you into the field again?" Anakin suggested.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea." Kate replied. "The Council wanted proof that someone's after me. Just throwing me into battle might not confirm that. What we need, is to put me into a situation in which the only reason someone would try to kill me is because of a price on my head. So, thinking along those lines, in what situation would Seperatist forces not attack someone loyal to the Republic?"

"That's... an interesting way of looking at it." Obi Wan replied after a moment's thought.

"The most common mistake in that line of thinking, as far as I know, is that of overthinking the issue. Maybe there's a simple answer I'm overlooking." Kate replied with a shrug.

"Well, that makes it difficult." Ahsoka replied, sounding frustrated.

"Either way, it's probably better off tested with a bounty hunter." Kate turned towards Ahsoka. "Someone like on of Dooku's Sithlets might overlook a promising bounty if it doesn't aid their war effort. A bounty hunter wouldn't."

"Wait a minute." Ahsoka spoke up. "You said loyal to the Republic. What if you pretended to be going to their side?"

"An interesting idea; I didn't think of it." Kate responded, thoughtfully. "But I'm not sure about that. This universe has a strong history of people attempting infiltration and turning to the Dark Side for real. I'm not sure it's worth the risk."

"What does THAT mean?" Anakin replied, exasperated. Kate perked up a little, ready to relay examples.

"I'm sure Kate can quote multiple examples, but that isn't related to this conversation. She's right; it's dangerous." Obi Wan interrupted.

"Ulic Quel Droma being one of the more memorable examples." Kate muttered, unable to resist.

"Is that what happened?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

"It was a really long and complex series of events that culminated in him taking a stupid risk out of anger and grief." Kate replied. She knew enough to go into detail, but now didn't seem the time.

"You seem to know a lot about this." Obi Wan observed.

"My specialty is... well, from the perspective of this time period, everything that happened before this time, excepting the most recent thousand years or so." Kate answered. They all blinked and stared at her for a moment, and Kate let out a huff. "Look, when you're studying a specific chronology of events in a fictional story, tense becomes kind of irrelevant."

"You mentioned a bounty hunter being a good subject for this. Maybe examining specific ones would be easier." Obi Wan suggested. Kate chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute." Anakin interrupted. "You said you might be overthinking this. What if we make this simple." Anakin suggested, an idea dawning across his face.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, cocking her head at him.

"You mentioned that a bounty hunter would be a good subject. Why don't we just send you to a bounty hunter hangout?" Anakin suggested. Everyone perked up at that idea.

"That is a fantastic idea." Kate responded, sitting up straighter in her chair, and her eyes brightened. That comment earned her a look from Obi Wan questioning her sanity. Even Ahsoka gave her a strange look.

"That sounds dangerous." Ahsoka was the first to reply, trying to sound diplomatic.

"We're trying to get someone to try and kill me;" Kate responded, cocking an eyebrow and giving her an amused look. "Of course it's dangerous." Kate nodded, thinking over the idea, and looked back at Anakin. "We throw me in a known hangout, like a bar or something, give me a lousy cover and someone evesdropping, and see who takes the bait." There was a moment's pause before anyone spoke.

"Why bother with a cover?" Anakin asked.

"Safety." Kate replied without hesitating. "Think about it- pretend you're a bounty hunter. Someone comes into a known bounty hunter hangout, someone you recognize as having a price on them. And they walk in with a really obviously fake cover ID. You're a bounty hunter, and you're both smart and good at your job, so you notice these things. What's your reaction?"

"Wait." Obi Wan replied. "That would be enough to make the good bounty hunters hesitate before trying to kill you. But only if they're cautious; most of the good ones are not. It's a clever idea, though."

"Nothing's perfect; I didn't think of the ego thing. But still, this also makes it a little more likely that I'll end up facing a stupid bounty hunter; and stupid ones are easier to trick information out of." Kate's eyes sparkled, and she couldn't help a surge of pride. Theoretically, it was a good plan.

"Well." Anakin responded, shifting in his seat and preparing to stand. "That's enough to start with. I'll talk to Rex and Cody about the details."

"Don't forget to send a message to Chancellor Organa; he'll want to know about all this." Obi Wan responded in passing. Kate, who'd been starting to stand with Anakin, fell back to her seat, and felt as though she'd just been hit by a truck.

"I'm sorry." Kate interrupted the conversation, but her reaction had gotten their attention the moment it happened. "Chancellor Organa?"

"Yes." Obi Wan replied slowly, uncertain of what her reaction meant. "Why? Who is the Supreme Chancellor in your entertainment vids?"

"Palpatine." Kate replied immediately, feeling as though the answer should be obvious, but her voice was small and uncertain. The startled reaction from the three Jedi was immediate.

"Palpatine?" Anakin started, a little anger showing in his reaction to the name. "You mean the Sith Lord?" Kate didn't think she could get more numb and startled, until Anakin finished talking. Her face paled visible, and she sat back in the chair.

"Did you not know this?" Obi Wan asked, his voice still carefully gentle. He'd already realized this as a sensitive subject for her, even if he didn't yet know the reason.

"Of course I know it." Kate snapped back, regretting her tone as soon as the words left her mouth. "What surprises me, is that you all know."

"Senator Palpatine died in a shuttle crash over ten years ago." Obi Wan responded quietly. "After he died, it was discovered that he was a Sith Lord. Having a Sith Lord hidden so well so close to the Temple prompted a few changes in the Order. I take it he didn't die in the vids?" Kate just shook her head numbly in response to his question, trying to absorb the news.

"What would have happened if he'd lived?" Anakin demanded, taking a few steps closer to her. He probably was unconsciously trying to intimidate Kate by looming over her. If so, he'd be disappointed; Kate didn't intimidate easily. Kate looked away from Anakin, a few flashes from the movies emerging in her memory, though she was careful to keep each hidden from them.

"I-" she started, trying to decide what to say. Then she shook her head. "You don't want to know." Kate tried to bring a note of finality to her voice; she didn't want to argue about this. Anakin made a noise, probably about to do just that, before Obi Wan cut him off.

"The Council already decided not to push her on this. And since it won't happen, I hardly see how it matters at the moment. Anakin, go speak to Rex and Cody and get the details set for this mission." Obi Wan spoke briskly. Anakin looked annoyed for a moment, then muttered a "yes, master" before leaving the room with Ahsoka.

"Are you all right?" Obi Wan asked Kate, touching her shoulder briefly in concern. She looked up at him, thoughts interrupted, then tried for a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks. I just grew up on these stories, and that's a basic fact of them. It's just a bit of a shock, that's all. I'm fine." Kate rambled, unable to stop herself, and fidgeted a little. Obi Wan studied her for a moment, not speaking, before offering a hand to help her rise. Kate took it and stood, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"So, what do we do now?" Kate asked, taking a couple steps back from Obi Wan.

"I need to get to the bridge and see to our progress. You should go after Anakin; you'll need to be there for some of the preparations." Obi Wan replied, then gestured to the door. "Come on; they're probably on the bridge, too."

* * *

><p>"Run it for me again." Kate muttered under her breath, bringing the glass to her lips and faking another sip to mask the movements. She heard a sigh in one ear.<p>

"When you insisted on being wired, I didn't think you'd use it to annoy me." Obi Wan's voice came from the earpiece she wore.

"Stop whining, and run it for me again." Kate insisted. Given that she was in a bar surrounded by ruthless, evil, and drunk bounty hunters, and that there was a price on her head, she should be nervous. She was not. She kept her voice and outward appearance calm, but let her hands shake a little and signs of nerves show.

"There isn't much to speak of. You're wired, so we can track you, in addition to being able to see and hear everything you can. You insisted on going in there alone, but we're hidden outside, nearby in case anything goes wrong." Obi Wan recited the plan in a bored tone.

"And if anything goes wrong, I'll hit the panic button." Kate responded calmly, hesitating before continuing. "Wait, you guys didn't give me a panic button. I had to insist on the hardware I did get."

"Now, Kate-" Obi Wan started to respond, but Kate continued over him.

"I know, I know. The Jedi are very good at protecting people and there's absolutely no chance that anything will go wrong so why bother hedging your bets just in case?" Kate surreptitiously inhaled, after having said that all in one breath.

"Kate," Obi Wan started a reply to her rant in a calm tone. "Everything will be fine. We will keep you safe, and acquire the information we need. You will not be hurt."

"If you think you've heard the last of this, you're sadly mistaken. I should have a panic button." Kate snapped back, careful to keep her voice low.

THUNK! Kate automatically concealed a startled jump as a mug slammed down next to her on the bar. A very drunk Gamorrean leaned down at her, attempting to be intimidating.

"You've got balls, human, showing up here." The Gamorrean slurred at her.

"You've mistaken me for someone else." Kate responded in a low voice, not looking at him. She'd been expecting something like this since she walked in; an obvious test of her skills. She had to resist the urge to lean away from him to avoid drool. "Piss off." Kate finished.

"I'm talking to you!" The Gamorrean shouted. The bar quieted, and suddenly they had everyone's attention. Kate kept her attention on her glass. "You walk in here with a 10,000 credit bounty on your head?"

Something clicked in Kate's head as he spoke, and she kept her joy hidden. Part one, accomplished; bounty on her head confirmed. End phase one; begin phase two.

"Stop!" Kate yelled. She stood, held her hands out towards the Gamorrean, increasing her pretense of fear. "Just wait a second!" Kate continued. She could only hope that the Jedi on the other end realized that she was talking to them, not the Gamorrean. But she couldn't wait to find out. Everyone in the bar stared at her, waiting for her to give them a reason not to pounce on her. Instead, she turned and sprinted out the door.

Kate heard a roar of rage behind her, probably from the Gamorrean. She focused on running, and remembering the layout of the surrounding streets she'd gotten from the Jedi and memorized. Kate had even selected a route in case it came to this.

"Kate." Obi Wan spoke into her ear urgently. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me." Kate responded. "Stay close, but don't let them know you're here until I signal you. How many are still following me?" There was a pause.

"Three. And you had better know what you're doing." Obi Wan replied, sounding a little annoyed. Kate grinned. Perfect. She altered her route slightly, coming to a stop at an alley ending at a wall. Nowhere left to run. Still acting scared, she spun to face the three bounty hunters. They advanced slowly, knowing she was trapped. She controlled her breathing, panting and stumbling backwards.

"Who?" She asked them, her voice trembling. "What human would put a bounty out on her own kind?" The Gamorrean gave a dark chuckle.

"You must've pissed off the wrong human, then, girl." The Gamorrean taunted, an evil glint in his eye. He twirled the long axe in his hand, advancing on her.

"Who? What man would put a bounty out on me?" Kate shouted at him, sounding desperate.

"A man who'll pay for your head!" The Gammoran gave a battle roar and charged.

All of Kate's signs of fear vanished. Her eyes bright, she waited as the Gamorrean charged her. At the last moment, she gave a small tight roll just out of the way. Her foot lashed out as he flew past her, tripping him. His two human companions advanced on her as the Gamorrean thunked hard to the ground. Kate kicked, shattering one's kneecap. The other charged her; Kate spun behind him. Before he could react, she had him in a sleeper chokehold as his companion lay on the ground, screaming. Obi Wan rushed in, lightsaber drawn, as Kate's victim's eyes rolled back in his head. She let him go in time for him to fall to the ground.

"He's not dead." Kate calmly informed them. "A chokehold knocks someone out before it kills them. Not many people know that."

"Well." Obi Wan commented, looking at her surprised and amused. "Well done. You confirmed the price on your head."

"I also confirmed that whoever put it there is a human male." Kate shot back, giving him a pleased smirk. "Told you I knew what I was doing."


End file.
